The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lily-of-the-Nile grown for use as an ornamental plant for the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Agapanthus and will hereinafter be referred to as ‘Snow Pixie’.
The inventor collected seed from a unique Agapanthus in a cultivated area of Durban, South Africa. In 1990 the seeds were sown in a cultivated area of West Sussex, United Kingdom. The resulting seedlings were grown out and observed for a number of years. In 1996 ‘Snow Pixie’ was selected by the inventor based on the criteria of habit and number of flowers. The selected seedling also proved hardy, remaining evergreen when the temperature dropped to −9.5° Centigrade.
‘Snow Pixie’ is a chance hybrid plant that is floriferous and exhibits a compact dwarf habit. The parents of ‘Snow Pixie’ are Agapanthus hybrids. The female parent is an unnamed Agapanthus hybrid (unpatented) and the male parent is an unidentified Agapanthus hybrid (unpatented).
When compared with the population of plants from which seed was collected, ‘Snow Pixie’ was observed to be consistently shorter in overall height, typically around 54 cm including the flower scapes. The presumed parental material achieves an overall height in the range 75 cm to 90 cm. The existing commercial variety Agapanthus ‘Snowstorm’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,554 achieves height in the range 70 cm to 75 cm.
When compared with plants of like age (whether first year flowering or subsequent year of flowering) taken from the parental seedling population, ‘Snow Pixie’ has been observed to carry far more (up to three times as many) flower scapes than a typical grown-on seedling taken from the original population.
‘Snow Pixie’ was first asexually propagated in 1996, in a cultivated area of West Sussex, United Kingdom, under the direct supervision of the inventor. The method used for asexual propagation was tissue culture. Since that time under careful observation, successive generations have been determined stable and true to type. Asexual propagation can also be accomplished by division.